Contender (dinghy)
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The International Contender is a single-handed high performance sailing dinghy, designed by Ben Lexcen (Australia) in 1967 as a possible successor to the Finn dinghy for Olympic competition.
"Single-handed" means sailed by only one person. The boat has a trapeze which allows the sailor to harness the power of the wind effectively. The design of the boat does not favor sailors within a narrow or extreme size or weight range, past champions have ranged from 60 kg to more than 90 kg. While physical fitness and strength are advantageous, the boat rewards agility and good technical sailing skills ahead of athleticism.
Sailors wishing to master the Contender must learn how to trapeze and steer the boat at the same time, and how to move about the boat while keeping it level. As part of race tuning, the Contender mast is commonly raked well aft. Tacking consequently requires technique and practice to avoid getting stuck under the boom. Sailing the boat level at all times (except in very light winds) is fastest and will also reduce capsizes, which can happen fast if the boom dips into the water. There is a trade-off between raking the mast far aft and keeping the kicker (vang) tight at all times (which is faster) and the higher probability of capsizing due to this less forgiving set up. Unlike older and heavier dinghy designs, the Contender requires the centerboard to be lowered at least somewhat to avoid quick capsizes when reaching and running in a breeze.
Andrea Bonezzi, claimed the title of World Champion for the 6th time in Fremantle, Australia in 2006 against a fleet of more than 60 entrants. World Championships held in Europe during 2004 and [2005]] were contested by in excess of 100 boats. At the next World Championship, scheduled for July 2007 at Medemblik, Netherlands, a similar number of entrants is expected.
The Contender is recognized as an International Class by the International Sailing Federation, the governing body of sail boat racing, which administers the class rules.